Expert Testimony 3: A Kind of Silence
by Mallaithe
Summary: SK's Sleepwalkers  Movie /HL/CM  Hotch is conducting a seminar on behalf of the BAU when he is called in to advise on a local murder. The murder fits a series of killings spanning twenty years with a bizarre COD. Fearing the worst Hotch calls in the team.
1. Small Town Surprise

_**A/N - this is the third in the series starting with Expert Testimony and Conversation. Neither is especially necessary to read prior to this**** but for those interested feel free to read. Conversation *does* contain a quite graphic scene, as such it's classed Mature, the scene occurs roughly halfway into the story, those who are triggered or sensitive to abuse or sexual assault may wish to skip that scene or the story entire.**_

The dead girl lay on her back. Her eyes wide open, they'd been blue but now they were clouding. Her skin was china pale, pert pink lips open slightly to reveal tiny white teeth, like pebbles on a beach small and perfectly white. She'd been pretty, wasn't wearing makeup even though her mother had said she was meeting a boy. A good girl then. Her clothing was conservative, a long ankle length flower print dress, short sleeved but cut modestly.

She had fought back, her nails were broken and bloodied but there was no obvious sign of death.

Hotch sighed and straightened.

"Time of death?"

"About four hours ago, the mother was worried when she didn't call to say she'd arrived okay. Normally we wouldn't've responded so quickly but Madge kept Samantha on a tight leash, I was pretty surprised when she said Sam was meeting a boy."

"Do we know anything about the boy?"

"New kid in school, only been enrolled for two weeks. Registered under a fake address. Sent my guys out to bring him in. We've got an APB out."

Long pause Hotch staring at the dead girl. The sheriff shifted his weight.

"You think this is a serial killer?"

"Possibly. There are some traits in common with a serial we've been tracking."

"If it's a serial –"

"They've been occurring sporadically for the last twenty years all over the country. Our analyst picked up the pattern."

"Oh. Okay then."

"I need to contact my team. Please see if the coroner can rush her, we need a cause of death."

"Right away."

Hotchner pulled out his cell and dialed JJ.

"Get the team. We have a job, unknown COD but it looks similar to the pattern Garcia identified last week. This case is fresh."

He hung up and glanced at the dead girl again. He let out a slow breath and nodded at the sheriff. The girl was lying next to a slow moving otherwise charming brook in the heart of a tiny park. As Hotch walked to his car he noticed a dozen or so cats lurking in the park. He studied them for a moment. Most looked healthy and well fed a few had collars so they weren't strays. Why were they in the park?


	2. Reinforcements

The cats still lurked at the crime scene as the rest of the team arrived. Hotch stared at them. The dour profiler wasn't a pet person but he didn't generally mind cats, they were self- sufficient, intelligent and fairly clean. But these cats were eerie, they didn't seem to acknowledge one another, occasionally one would let out a low threatening moan or growl but the hostility wasn't directed at Hotchner or any of the personnel at the scene, or even other cats. It was just a generalized ill temperament. He was an expert on human behavior, not feline, but either way this behavior struck him as bizarre.

"Sheriff, the cats, is this normal behavior?" He asked as a forensics team finished their sweep. The corpse had been loaded up and taken the county medical examiner's office two hours earlier.

"No, not really, most folks here have a house cat or two but I've never seen them congregate like this." The sheriff admitted.

"Garcia? It's Hotchner, run a check on the files we have for the - right, the case you dug up. I want to find out if there are any reports of unusual animal behavior near the crime scenes. Yes, I know, there are cats at this scene and their behavior is bizarre – right."

He checked his watch as he put his cell phone away.

"Sheriff, we'll need space at your station to work-"

"Not a problem Agent Hotchner, I'll take you myself."

"Thank you but that's not necessary, I'd prefer you stayed here and made sure the scene's integrity is intact."

"Good call, I'll call ahead, let my gal know you're coming." The sheriff grunted. The scene was clearly nearly wrapped up but Hotchner wanted to insure there wouldn't be any potential foul ups, this killer or team, or dynasty had been at work for decades.

"Thank you." Hotchner said. His tone was the same level near-monotone as usual, although the sheriff thought he heard a note of exhaustion to it.

He'd met Agent Hotchner at a seminar at the local community college on FBI profiling. It was designed to educate local law enforcement on what the FBI profilers could offer, both when it came to reviewing stalled, cold, or unusual cases and what criteria were required to call the BAU agents into an active case. The seminars also doubled as a nice recruitment tool for the FBI. The Sheriff had approached Hotchner as soon as the seminar broke for coffee. After listening to the case and learning the body was still on site Hotchner left the seminar, his colleague Dr. Reid had remained behind.

"Reid, I'm coming to get you." Hotchner said and hung up.

* * *

Methos was lying on a beach. His usual pallor had been replaced by the subtlest of bronze blushes. He sighed and stretched, his toes hung off his towel, he cheerfully buried them in the warm sand and sighed again. He was content.

After months of insanity in Seacouver and too much contact with federal authorities he was delighted to be out of the country and incognito on a tropical beach. He chuckled to himself and reached for his incredibly expensive cocktail.

It was good to be an anonymous wealthy eccentric.

* * *

"We're still waiting on COD, Morgan and Prentiss go to the Coroner's and expedite the autopsy. Reid continue working on the geographic profile –"

"I don't really have enough information for that." Reid interjected.

"Do what you can then get with JJ on victimology."

"Any word on Rossi?" Prentiss asked.

"No, he's still on loan to the CIA."

"Someone had to take over the psych evaluations for Gideon." Reid said still studying his map.

"We'll be fine." Hotchner said firmly and the team split up.

* * *

Methos checked out of the hotel with a smile on his lips. He'd earned that vacation. He wasn't sure where he was going but it wouldn't be back to Seacouver. Too many immortals passed through that town and too many people -immortals and mortals -knew how to reach him there. Still, he should at least call Joe.

* * *

Reid was staring at the stack of reports from Garcia. There had been almost forty murders with the same nonspecific cause of death over the last twenty years. It averaged to one every six months but in reality there had been large gaps between several. He rubbed at his chin and concentrated.

He riffled through the files again and then started putting keywords on the cork board in front of him.

_**VICTIMOLOGY**_

_**Young teens**_

_**Socially awkward/unpopular**_

_**Conservative homes**_

_**Long haired brunettes**_

_**UNSUB**_

_**Poses as a new kid**_

_**Able to pass as a HS student**_

_**Registers at fake addresses or vacates before police arrive for interviews**_

_**CRIME SCENES**_

_**Victim usually posed as though sleeping**_

_**No apparent COD**_

_**Very rarely defensive wounds present**_

_**Cats present at almost all scenes including UNSUB's home of record**_

_**Conclusions**_

Reid stared at the last section. He wasn't sure what to conclude, logically there had to be more than one UNSUB or an UNSUB using young men to lure victims in. Over a twenty year period, he sighed and frowned at the board.

"Reid, what have you got?" Hotchner asked entering the small conference room.

Reid sighed and gestured at the board.

"Either the UNSUB is using young men to lure in the victims –"

"Or he's an immortal." Hotchner interrupted. Reid nodded.

"I-I don't see how it can be anything else. Either the UNSUB is an adult recruiting kids to his purpose or he isn't aging normally."

Hotchner was nodding.

"You gonna call him?" Prentiss asked. Neither of the men had noticed her entering.

Hotchner frowned minutely.

"You know he'll freak out if we don't." Prentiss pushed.

"Keep working, figure out why he's using cats." Hotchner said finally and walked out of the room. He made the call standing a hallway.

"Adam, this is Agent Hotchner. I need your expertise. Please call me back on this number as soon as possible." He hung up with a frown. The affable immortal had assured Hotchner that particular number would always be in service and would be checked weekly at the latest. Still that could mean days before the immortal got the message and even longer before he could arrive.

* * *

"Hey Joe-"

"About damn time you called. You got a message." Joe grumbled tense affectionately. The musician didn't need to explain how the message had arrived there was only one way Joe received messages intended for Methos, and if a call had come over _that_ line then it was crucially important.

"Okay." Methos said and was surprised at how dry his mouth was.

"Agent Hotchner called, needs your help." Joe sighed.

"Fuck." Methos groaned.

"I warned you not to get involved with fed-"

"When did he call?" Methos interrupted. He knew Joe was right, he also knew the retired Watcher was well aware of how dangerous a rogue that had made it onto the BAU's radar could be for their world.

"An hour ago. Lucky you. I'll forward the number to your cell."

"Yeah. Thanks Joe."

"Get a secretary you old coot." Joe sighed sounding more worried than teasing and hung up.

Methos took a moment to wrap his head around the situation and then called Hotchner back.

"Hotchner."

"It's me."

Long pause, Methos imagined he could hear Hotchner's sibilant controlled breathing over the mouthpiece.

"We might have a rogue." Hotchner said finally.

"Where are you?"

"Maine."

"I'll be there in" Methos did the math in his head "About five hours."

"Call me when you get in." Hotchner said softly and ended the call.

Methos groaned as he hung up. He needed another vacation. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was deal with the feds again. They were good people in and of themselves but they were suspicious and saw through too many of his layers. For a moment he wondered if Gideon had spoken to any of them about their mutual encounter…. No, no if Jason had blabbed them Methos seriously doubted Hotchner would call him for help. Maybe call him to come in and get cuffed and beheaded…no that wasn't fair Hotchner didn't operate like that. He forced himself to take a deep breath.

He had to book a flight ASAP.

* * *

Methos studied the sheriff's office and thought about getting out of the car again. He dreaded meeting the profilers a second time, but if there were another rogue immortal then unfortunately he had to deal with it. Much as he'd like to point Macleod at the problem and say go, the younger immortal was impetuous and could get himself killed. Until the next millennial champion was discovered they couldn't risk losing Mac. He swallowed and forced himself to open the rental car door.

Prentiss was standing on the sidewalk in front of the office, she looked upset; she stopped pacing when she saw Methos. He couldn't see her face clearly from the angle she was at, hair swept across her face and a row of parking meters half blocked her from him but he thought he could read surprise and relief in her body language. He felt a lead weight in his gut. He wasn't sure if she or Morgan were really aware of just how close he'd come to a real death the last time they'd met. It didn't matter anyway, if this were a rogue he had to be involved.

"Emily." He said brusquely as he approached.

"Adam hey." She smiled at him, a genuine, _warm _smile. He swallowed and nodded at the station.

"Hotchner in there?"

"Yeah, I'll go in with you." She said and lead the way up the steps.

* * *

Hotchner was staring at the board Reid had peppered with notes. Reid was at his side.

"Where's Morgan?" Methos asked. He wanted to know where the big judo champion was. He didn't like the idea of any of the agents being unaccounted for, not with a possible rogue loose.

"Interviewing the victim's parents again." Hotchner said turning to face Methos and Prentiss.

"Thank you for coming." Hotchner said. The profilers politely ignored the fact that Methos was clearly on edge. Reid and Hotchner filled Methos in on the case while Prentiss called Morgan and then watched Methos' reaction to the information.

"It's not a rogue, I don't think it's human but it's certainly not a rogue." Methos said finally.

"Why so certain?" Hotchner asked. Methos cut a glance at the senior agent and walked up to the board. He pointed at the question marks around the card labeled C.O.D. ?

"You say the cause of death is uncertain? Immortals aren't subtle when we kill, if it's not a beheading then it's strangulation, stabbing, something obvious. Occasionally it's poison. But something this hard to trace? No." Methos shook his head firmly and faced the board again, scanning it.

"Do you have any ideas about cause of death?" Reid asked, the lean agent sounded intrigued.

"What's with the cats?" Methos asked ignoring Reid's question.

"We're not certain, they appear near every crime scene and at times the UNSUB's dwelling." Prentiss answered.

"Fuck. I might know what's doing this. I thought they were extinct." Methos said, the profilers automatically noted Methos' sudden pallor, the way his stance shifted - feet a shoulder's width apart, hips settled and low slung, ready to run or fight.

"They?" Reid asked carefully. Hotchner quietly moved toward the door, ready to keep the spooked man from bolting or worse.

Methos sat down heavily and ran a hand over his face. He let out a slow breath and thought about how to phrase his next statement. The B.A.U. knew about him and trusted him because Gideon had. So they would probably take his word about the Sleepwalkers. Maybe. He was stalling, he had to tell them something, why not the truth? He dropped his hand and was relieved to hear Derek in the hallway outside the conference room talking to someone. He couldn't understand what Morgan was saying but recognized the rumble of his muffled voice. Sure enough the doorknob twitched and the door opened.

"Hey, victim's mother confirms the time she left to meet the UNSUB." Morgan said walking in. The astute agent's eyes ticked around the room, noting Hotchner's proximity to the door, Prentiss' standing close to Reid hand hovering at her hips, ready to go for her weapon. Reid was studying the board, eyes flickering over the data. Morgan eased in and carefully closed the door, he left his hand on the doorknob - close to his weapon.

"Good, you remember Adam?" Hotchner said, tone calm and regulated.

Methos nodded at the attractive agent. One thing Methos could say for the BAU they had a talent for hiring beautiful smart agents. Attractive and intelligent agents that could read him like a book if he didn't watch it.

"Adam was just about to tell us who our UNSUB is." Reid prompted, his voice was oddly cheerful.

"Not who, what." Methos said standing. All eyes were on him. He swallowed hard and kept going.

"There's one case you're missing." He said and pointed at a blank section on the time line of related killings on the board, "In 1992 a girl named Tanya Robertson was attacked by a Charles Brady. Brady…Brady wasn't human. I thought he was the last of his kind, he and his mother, evidently I was wrong. They're referred to as Sleepwalkers." He lowered his hand and avoided meeting any of the agents' eyes, he knew how it sounded he didn't need to see it in their eyes, "They were rare when I was young as time went on they grew rarer. I honestly thought the Bradys were the last. Ms. Robertson killed them both and burned their home to the ground." He finished and raised his eyes to meet Hotchner's implacable gaze.

"What about the cats?" Prentiss prompted. She had relaxed minutely, just enough to encourage Morgan to move further into the room. None of the profilers were entirely conscious of their ballet. Morgan knew that Prentiss was on edge, ready for action but without taking the time to think about why he couldn't say off hand. Similarly Prentiss felt Methos' nerves and evasion for what they were but added that to what she knew of his capabilities and past actions. She knew, that if he were cornered or pushed, he could and would resort to violence consequently she was prepared to take action.

"There's some kind of bizarre relationship between the 'walkers and cats, the 'walkers in their natural shape look a lot like skinned or burned humanoid felines. Cats despise 'walkers, hunt them instinctively, I guarantee you wherever the 'walker is, there are cats surrounding it." Methos sighed.

"Sleepwalkers? That's a pretty specific name." Morgan said.

"I don't know why they're called that." Methos snapped, Morgan was edging into threat territory in his book, "Look I'll tell you everything as I get to it." Methos sighed. The agents exchanged looks. Methos' temper frayed.

"Look you believed what I am, how is this that much different?" He demanded.

"I met a 'walker in Egypt. I knew him for months before I realized something was wrong."

* * *

Abasi was glaring at Methos. Methos grinned at him and ordered more beer.

"Come on Abasi, Dendera will forgive you!" Methos laughed.

"Oh that you should have such a mother as I Methos, you would not take her wrath so lightly." Abasi snorted.

"You make a good argument my friend, come I will walk with you to your home." Methos said. He was just drunk enough to be cheerful and still capable of functioning. They laughed as they walked through the quiet streets to Abasi's home. Sure enough his shrew of a mother Dendera was waiting for him.

They spoke to one another in an Akkadian dialect. Methos had picked it up during his travels, it was a very very rare and ,even then, ancient tongue. Methos had been surprised they knew it.

"Loving mother –"

"I am hungry Abasi! Why do you not feed me?" She replied harshly. Methos had never bothered to tell Abasi that he knew their language. It would only encourage questions. So he listened drunkenly while feigning ignorance.

"There were no girls!"

"I am wasting away son of mine, child of mine, I am dying-"

"I will feed you mother, I will, tomorrow!"

Methos was quite drunk, but he clearly saw Abasi embrace his mother like a lover. He averted his eyes and feigned a drunken stumble to remind them he was there. Whatever occurred in their home was between them.

* * *

"They're incestuous?" Reid asked intrigued.

"I think they're normally in packs or herds, groups anyway, when they break up mothers and sons pair off. The mothers require a specific diet that only the sons can provide. I've never encountered a lone female or a lone male, I don't know how they procreate."

"What do they eat? If it's rare enough we might be able to track it –" Reid started to ask.

"Reid." Morgan interrupted and nodded at the board where the photo of the latest victim was tacked. Reid frowned.

"They eat souls." Methos sighed.

"That's –" Prentiss breathed.

"Ridiculous." Reid snorted. Methos shot him a hard glare. Morgan moved protectively toward Reid. It was only a few inches just enough to get Methos to back off.

"Maybe it's not the soul, call it what you want but they consume the life force of a person, and they're very particular about whose they take. Brady and his mother liked virgin girls, looks like your guy does too."

"How do we stop them?" Morgan asked. The big man looked angry, tense. Methos focused on that anger, ordered himself to accept that it wasn't toward him but toward the 'walkers.

"The cats." Methos said quietly. He was standing, slightly hunched, arms crossed, chin jutting in a mixture of defiance and defense.

* * *

It had taken a day or so for Abasi to realize Methos had seen more than he should have. Methos wasn't sure what had tipped him off, or maybe Abasi had realized that Methos wasn't fully human. Either way Abasi came for him.

"Abasi my friend-" Abasi hit Methos in the face. The immortal was thoroughly stunned, he pinwheeled backwards, mind and body in shock.

Abasi followed through with a blow to Methos' abdomen further stunning the immortal. As Methos hit the ground Abasi knelt next to him. The Egyptian's form shimmered and twisted and a skinless cat loomed over the immortal. Methos tried to scream but his breath was still short, diaphragm still partially paralyzed, so he lashed out and tried to knock Abasi– or what had been Abasi– away.

He knocked the creature off balance and rolled away from it. It let out a scalded screech and scrambled after him. A cat appeared outside Abasi's home, it let out an ululating caterwaul that was answered by a half dozen other feline voices. Methos muttered a silent prayer to Bast for Her animals and struggled to get away from the beast attacking him.

Methos made it to the doorway before Dendera appeared, blocking the way. She shimmered and twisted and another creature stood in her place, she had grown taller and bulkier than her human self, tiny shriveled ears stood on her head, eyes narrowed and lengthened up the side of her head, mouth and face twisted and flattened, a muzzle replacing her mouth, sharp pointed fangs filling her mouth. Methos hissed in surprise and scuttled backwards. Pain seared through his legs as what had been Abasi sank claws into his leg and pulled him to the ground. As Abasi pulled Methos in for a kill an ear piercing scream ripped through the air. Methos reflexively glanced at the source of the noise.

Dendera was being attacked by a cat, the fierce little animal was clawing and biting at the creature, the creature's flesh was bubbling and smoking at the site of the injuries. Abasi screamed in rage and released Methos.

Methos scuttled away from the strange creatures. They were both struggling to remove the single cat, it was badly injured, bleeding and broken but it fought on until Abasi finally pulled it free and broke its neck. His mother looked terrible. Her wounds were still smoking and hissing, the skin around them was sloughing off. She let out a piteous whine. Abasi embraced her tenderly and the two shimmered and faded from sight.

Methos was terrified he had just seen the impossible, even though his very existence was impossible, seeing it in something else was still horrifying. He got to his feet and started to limp to the door, something crashed into his chest with the force of a horse's kick. He gasped and hit the ground, he felt bones in his chest or back shift and grind against one another. He opened his eyes to see Abasi, the creature had its foot on Methos' throat.

"Abasi-" The creature increased the pressure on Methos' throat cutting off his air supply completely. Methos thrashed and fought. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted two more cats, he struggled to stay conscious, as the edges of his vision started to gray out the cats sprang. Instantly the inexorable pressure on his throat and lungs was gone. Abasi was screaming and trying to pull off the cats. His injuries were reacting the same way his mother's had, hissing and bubbling, skin sloughing off. He dropped to his knees and the cats kept biting and clawing intent on their work. As soon as Abasi's eyes dulled and he stopped struggling Methos got up and ran. A loud noise drew his attention as he fled, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Abasi's body burst into flames.

* * *

"They're allergic to the cats?" Reid asked utterly fascinated.

"I don't know, I just know what I saw." Methos said and sat down. The room was filled with an awkward heavy silence.

"Wait, so what you're saying is some sort of supernatural Egyptian monster is eating virgin girls?" Morgan scoffed.

"_You _called _me_." Methos snapped. He'd had enough. Just being around this many mortals with guns and federal jobs made him nervous as hell, but have them question him about it was maddening.

"Morgan, back off. Adam, do you have any idea how we can track them?" Hotchner asked staring hard at Morgan. Morgan looked peeved but backed down.

"Honestly your best bet would be to call local shelters and animal control, see if anyone has called in a complaint about a gathering of cats." Methos said stiffly, he avoided looking at Morgan, found his eyes drifting across the room and meeting...Prentiss' gaze.

"Hotch, you aren't buying this are you?" Morgan demanded. The rest of the team looked uncertain as well. Methos shook his head breaking eye contact with Prentiss.

"Look, it's absolutely not a rogue, now I have a vacation to get back to so please, lose my number unless you're sure it's a rogue." Methos snapped and moved to leave.

"Wait." Prentiss said getting in his way. He glared at her for a moment and then forced himself to calm down, adrenaline didn't necessarily lead to clear thinking. He would listen, he liked Prentiss, in a strange way she was the most passionate of the profilers.

"Look, you can probably understand why Morgan's skeptical right? I mean you shot yourself in D.C. to prove what you are and it's still hard to believe and now, well, now you're talking about giant cat people that can turn invisible and shape shift. It's pretty hard to believe." Prentiss said calmly.

Methos took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

JJ poked her head in, "Hotch, do you want a press release?" She asked. The room was awkwardly silent for a moment.

"No, I need you to contact animal control and any other organizations or city agencies that might receive nuisance calls about large gatherings of cats." Hotchner said staring at Methos.

"Cats?" JJ asked. Prentiss nodded at her, JJ shrugged and closed the door.

Morgan didn't apologize but he didn't say anything either. Reid looked awkward.

"Y'know it's interesting that you say you first encountered these creatures in Egypt. The Egyptians have a long history of –" Reid said attempting to thaw the room.

"Reid." Hotchner said quietly. Reid closed his mouth, he looked chagrined and almost hurt but stepped back to the board.

"Do you need me to stay?" Methos asked Hotchner.

"I would appreciate it." Hotchner said. Methos studied him, a true stoic if Methos had ever seen one. After finding out Hotchner's family had nearly been wiped out by a serial killer Methos could hardly believe Hotchner was holding together as well as he was, until he considered that Hotchner's other family surrounded him every day.

"Fine." Methos said quietly and sat at the only table in the room, back to the wall, far corner of the table and the room. Hotchner had earned his respect without realizing it. So Methos would stay. He would wait and see what, if anything, he could do for the agents.

"Reid, see if you can find any files on the Robertson assault and any similar attacks. Morgan you're with Adam, see what else he might be able to help us with, Prentiss get with JJ on those calls, let;s make this fast."

Morgan stared at Methos then shook his head and took a seat across from

"Okay. I'll bite. What else can you tell us about the big kitties?" Morgan asked. His tone might have been intended to be playful, the sort of tone he would use with Reid or Garcia, really, any member of the team. Methos interpreted it as derision.

Methos swung at Morgan as hard as he could, Derek dodged most of the blow, Methos' knuckles scraped Morgan's face bruising both knuckles and skin. Morgan gripped Methos' wrist and jerked him forward slamming Methos' chest into the table. Methos used the extra momentum of the impact and slammed his right knee into the tabletop knocking the table upward into Derek's arm and elbow, breaking his grip on Methos' wrist. The altercation took about three seconds. Hotchner was reaching for Derek as Reid bravely attempted to grapple Methos, Prentiss' hand was half reaching for her weapon as she moved forward to intervene.

Methos rose and kicked the table knocking it on its side, he snatched at Morgan's throat expecting the big man to attempt to arm lock him again, Derek did and Methos hit him in the face. Stunned, Derek staggered backwars, tripped on his chair and landed on the ground, Hotchner stepped between Methos and Morgan.

"STOP." Hotchner shouted, the uncharacteristic volume and anger in Hotch's voice hit the profilers and Methos like the sound of a gunshot, they all froze. Derek's nose was bleeding. Reid was half blocking Methos' view of Morgan. Both Morgan and Methos' were tense and heaving ready to go again.

"What is wrong with you?" Hotchner asked quietly.

The will to fight immediately fled big agent carefully got to his feet and wiped at his bleeding nose. Methos remained tensed, ready to react as Reid stepped away from him and Prentiss looked at Methos and Morgan with similar expressions of frustration and annoyance.

Slowly Methos lowered his guard but stayed tense enough to react to another attack.

"Out." Hotchner snapped at Morgan. Methos relaxed completely as Morgan stepped out of the room and picked up the table.

"Adam, I understand that being here is hard for you and I know that Morgan provoked you-"

"I apologize Agent Hotchner. Sincerely. I know better than to let him get to me. It was unacceptable, immature." Methos interrupted.

Hotchner studied Methos for a moment, thought about saying more but simply nodded instead.

"Reid stay here please, Adam if you wouldn't mind answering a few questions with Agent Prentiss?" Hotchner asked. Methos grunted and glanced at Prentiss. She looked irritated.

Hotchner nodded and went after Morgan.

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?" Hotchner asked softly. It was worse than if he were yelling. Morgan swallowed hard.

"I-"

"Y'know what Morgan? Save it. I understand that you don't trust the team, for whatever reason, but Adam risks everything when he comes to help us. Do you understand that? He spends his whole life trying to avoid being noticed but he's willing to come from god only knows where to stand surrounded by people that could out him, so he can help us stop a killer. You don't make that sacrifice when you put on your gun and badge in the morning Agent. Do not antagonize him again; you're lucky you aren't being suspended."

"You think he trusts the team more than I do?" Morgan asked.

"Doesn't he?" Hotchner asked. The two men were silent for a moment before Hotchner opened the door and re-entered the conference room.

Morgan swallowed hard.


	3. Ugly Reality

The house had been called in four times. Animal control officers reported that the homeowner – a white female in her late thirties – claimed the cats were not hers and further she had violent pet allergies and had been forced to use an extensive array of traps and repellents around the home.

The team were deployed around the house. They had argued about bringing in a tactical team. Methos said it couldn't hurt but that the real damage would be up to the cats surrounding the house. Hotchner had insisted on attempting to take the suspects into custody if possible.

"Agent Hotchner, what you're asking is going to risk the lives of your team and the citizens of this town. If those creatures are injured by the cats but get away a girl will die to feed them."

"Adam, we have to try to take them in. The locals deserve that, besides aside from your theory we don't have any evidence that they're the killers." Hotchner said firmly. Morgan stayed out of it.

"You have a signed warrant, a judge thinks they're good suspects. If you go in there with just the team, if you knock on the door and warn them you'll get to meet my 'theory' face to face, hopefully you'll survive the meeting!"

"Yes, suspects I'm not going to stand by while they're killed until we know they're the UNSUBs-"

"Fine, but I'd like to go in with you, if you won't take a tac team." Methos said firmly.

Hotchner glanced at Morgan and then back at Methos.

"Very well, Morgan I want you on entry." Morgan nodded. "Adam, partner with Morgan on entry." Hotchner ordered. Methos didn't hesitate he grunted and picked up the two man ram they would use if the occupants didn't open the door.

The house was a two-story squat white farm style house. Windchimes and cat traps dangled from nearby trees, the porch and windows. It made the house feel cramped and eerie. It needed a coat of paint and the lawn was overgrown. Outside sat a dumpy station wagon.

"FBI We have a warrant!" Derek shouted and tried to boot the door in. It was triple deadbolted and reinforced. Morgan cursed colorfully as Methos stepped forward with the ram. They succeeded in caving the door in on the third blow.

"Use your night vision, on infrared." Methos whispered.

"I remember." Morgan snapped. They were all equipped with heat sensitive goggles in case the sleepwalkers dimmed and tried to hide.

Morgan entered the house with Methos hot on his heels. The immortal was keyed up and frightened. He truly didn't want to meet another 'walker, had been delighted when he'd thought they'd been wiped out. But now they'd apparently encountered another mother/son team.

He carefully scanned the room with his goggles on, it looked clear. Morgan drifted further into the building and once again declared that they were federal agents with a warrant. All the shouting made Methos nervous. He'd have preferred to go in silently and kill or subdue the inhabitants while they were sleeping.

Morgan carefully but quickly swept forward, confident he would see the suspects with his goggles. Methos wasn't so confident. He hung back and checked what Morgan had cleared, he registered a flicker of heat in the extreme lower right corner of his vision a split second before something landed on his back and upper shoulders. The weight of it forced him to his knees. He heard a shout from somewhere else in the house and guessed the other 'walker had found someone else to jump.

Methos rolled with the impact of the creature on his back and tried to get to his feet. He was standing next to a staircase in a narrow hallway and there wasn't enough room to shake his attacker off. He felt sharp claws enter the flesh of his shoulders and lower back. He let out a cry and slammed his back into the staircase. The creature grunted, hissed, and dug in. Methos snarled and smashed it again. The claws loosened and he slammed his shoulders back a third time and the creature released him. As Methos spun to face it, the beast swiped at Methos' face. The goggles took the brunt of the impact. Metho's head snapped to the side with the blow, blood ran down his face, the broken goggles fell to the wood floor with a clatter. The creature gripped Methos' throat and slammed him against the staircase.

Methos struggled to stay conscious he focused on the beast in front of him. By the vestigial fleshy skinless breasts on its chest he guessed it was the mother. It's tiny misshapen ears twitched at him as it's enormous jaws opened blowing hot breath on Methos' face.

"Who'd you eat for lunch?" Methos asked grinning, battle lust, rage, and terror filled him with a cold power.

The creature hit him in the face, hard enough that he was certain his cheekbone had been cracked if not broken. Methos laughed and kneed the bitch in the crotch. She let out a chuffing breath of air and mewled in pain. Her grip loosened and Methos slugged her in the face. She snarled and straightened, increased her grip. A gunshot rang out. The creature whined and snarled, it turned toward the source of the gunshot. JJ stood before the front window, the streetlamp outside silhouetted her, her blond hair glowed like a halo as the creature turned to her, she fired again, the muzzle flash revealing the terrified determination in her face. Methos dropped to the ground and launched himself at the creature. He couldn't let it get JJ, she had a family, a child.

He wrapped an arm around the creature's stubby throat as it faced JJ. The determined agent emptied her weapon in the creature's chest as more shots echoed hers from the other side of the house. Methos prayed that whoever it was they were winning. The creature Methos was grappling was slowed but not really injured by JJ's shots.

"Run! See to the others!" Methos shouted and did his best to throttle the 'walker. JJ obliged reloading her weapon with a fresh clip as she ran. Distantly Methos heard shotgun blasts. He thought Morgan or Hotchner had been carrying a shotgun. His attention was brought back to the 'walker as she dug her claws into his arms in an attempt to dislodge him. Methos screamed at her and hung on. She roared in frustration and charged the window JJ had been standing in front of. Methos wrapped his legs around the animal's torso and clung to her as she crashed into the glass. Shards rained down like snow. He felt them pepper his head and shoulders, cut his face, and slice his hands where they were still locked around the beast's throat. She screamed again, maddened by Methos' presence and continued to claw at him. She dug great furrows in his forearms, especially his right arm as it was partially covering his left.

She sank to her knees, jaws snapping and clacking helplessly as Methos continued to apply pressure, he was out of the reach of her jaws but not her claws. As she grew weaker she stopped trying to bite him but continued to claw at his arms, head, face, and what little of his body she could reach. Still, he hung on, if he lost consciousness from blood loss he would fall and she would tear him apart and he didn't know if he could recover from dismemberment, he simply hung on and did his damndest to throttle her.

More shots rang out from the house, shouts, the crackle of a radio and then Methos heard something other than the gasping struggles of the creature and the sound of her claws mincing his flesh, a low hiss.

He opened his eyes. The porch and yard were beginning to fill with cats. He whispered a long dead prayer to Bast and struggled to stay on the bitch's back. She bucked in terror as she too realized the cats were there. Her struggles nearly threw him off, his grip slackened and she tossed her head.

"Fuck." Methos grunted and released her before she could bite what was left of his arms. He landed hard on his back on the weathered wood of the porch. The bitch roared and turned to him. Too intent on killing him and protecting her son to do the smart thing and run back into the house, away from the angry cats.

"Here kitty kitty." Methos hissed weakly.

As the creature turned her attention to him and raised a clawed foot to crush his throat a calico cat with a red collar leapt at her. The creature screeched in pain and fear as the little calico landed on her with claws out. Methos chuckled dully and tried to get up. His head was swimming and his arms weren't working right. He rolled onto his stomach and managed to get to his knees, sit back on his heels and rise. By the time he turned back to the creature three more cats had jumped on to her.

The calico lay at the creature's feat, dead, it's back broken. Angered by the death of the brave little animal, too high on battle rage and low on blood to think properly, Methos charged. His right arm was shredded and useless so he shoved the creature with his left, knocking her off balance, she crashed into the porch railing, too focused on removing the cats mauling her to catch her balance, she fell over the railing and into the flowerbed below where more cats were waiting.

Methos slumped to the porch and tried to catch his breath, after a moment he gripped the railing with his right hand and tried to pull himself up. His arm didn't have any strength, ha managed to grip the railing but couldn't rise. He heard someone stepping on the scattered glass from the window and tried to get up again.

"Jesus." Prentiss breathed she was looking down at him from the broken window. She hurried out to the porch and looped an arm around Methos and got him to his feet. They froze for a moment, staring at the creature. It wasn't moving anymore, the cats continued to snarl and tear at it.

"S'not dead yet." Methos gasped painfully.

"How do we kill it?" Prentiss asked intently.

"Leave them to it." Methos whispered and winced as Prentiss pulled him closer to her and started to back into the house. Prentiss half dragged him around to the front of the house. Reid and Hotchner were kneeling next to someone. Methos instinctively knew it was Morgan; the big man would have put himself in harm's way first.

"Morgan-"

"He's badly hurt, help is on the way." Prentiss said stiffly.

"The other walker?" Methos asked.

"Escaped." As they reached the front walkway something in the rear garden burst into flame.

"Now she's dead." Methos said and grinned, his teeth were pink with his blood. Prentiss didn't reply just hauled Methos to the others. JJ appeared in the doorway of the house, she hurried down.

"Aid cars are on the way." She said and took Methos' other side, the two women got him to the sidewalk and helped him sit.

"Back up?" Hotchner asked stiffly.

Morgan was breathing his Kevlar fest was slashed to hell and he was bleeding badly from several claw wounds but he was alive. Methos relaxed minutely. If anyone could survive Derek could.

As Methos started to calm down the pain and blood loss washed over him. He would heal but it was going to take time.

"What's your status?" Hotchner asked Methos while still hovering over Morgan. Hotch's shirt was dark with blood, Methos noted that all the agent's were bloodied, his blood, Morgan's, their own maybe?

"I'll live, the mother jumped me, cats got her in the back and she won't be getting up." Methos muttered.

An aid car arrived seconds later. The EMTs piled out, Methos tried to get up and avoid them but Prentiss put a hand on his shoulder. Methos stayed still, Prentiss moved in front of blocked the aid crew's view of the immortal, carefully reported Morgan's condition and generally distracted them until Morgan had been loaded and was on his way to the hospital. JJ went with him.

"It looks bad, really bad." Reid said numbly. The young man's eyes were wide his hands were covered in Morgan's blood.

"He'll live." Methos said and coughed. Hotchner stared at Methos.

"It looks godawful but you stopped the bleeding and he's getting trauma treatment. He'll be fine." Methos said hoarsely. Reid didn't look convinced. Methos guessed Morgan had been defending Reid when he'd been hurt, the boy looked guilt ridden.

"What about you?" Prentiss asked.

Methos grinned up at her, teeth still stained with blood.

"I'll be fine. Really, this looks terrible but I've lived through worse.."

"If you say so." Prentiss said skeptically and exchanged a look with Hotchner.

Methos fell over, Prentiss knelt next to him.

"Hey, wake up." She said and touched his face. His eyelids fluttered and he moaned softly as Prentiss pulled her hand away his eyes snapped open.

"Told you I'll be fine." He muttered. Prentiss played a flashlight over Methos and gasped as the light revealed the bone in his right forearm, clearly visible in several places through his shredded flesh, the raw exposed muscle pulsed along with his heartbeat. Slow rivulets of blood oozed from the exposed flesh.

"Adam-" Prentiss started to say.

"I just need some water." Methos whispered and was out again.

"We-we should bandage the arm, slow the bleed." Reid said.

"Reid go in the house see if you can find a first aid kit." Hotchner ordered. He and Prentiss got Methos onto his feet and up on the porch.

"M'fine." He insisted.

"Adam, will the other one be back tonight?" Hotchner asked.

"I don't know, probably not, he's hurt and scared, once he finds out his mother's dead he'll flip out and come after us though."

"Why?" Prentiss asked. Methos blinked at her.

"Well if she's dead wouldn't he be better off just running?"

"We killed his mother, his lover, possibly the last of his species. He's going to be insane with rage and grief." Methos sighed. His head lolled drunkenly as he faded out again. Reid emerged from the house with a battered first aid kit. Prentiss gently but firmly laid Methos on his back and peeled his ruined shirt away from his injuries. The Kevlar vest he'd been wearing was intact but bloodstained. Reid took it off while Prentiss opened the kit.

"I'll be fine." Methos muttered again. The blood loss was impacting his thinking. Prentiss shushed him gently but firmly.

"Be fine." Methos whined. Hotchner held a flashlight on Methos' mangled arm.

"We tried the lights in the house, the power is off." Reid said nervously.

"Take his hand Reid, Prentiss try to hold him steady, this is going to hurt." Hotchner said grimly.

"Wait we should get off the street." Reid said.

"We shouldn't move him until the bleeding is taken care of." Prentiss argued.

Hotchner glanced at the quiet neighborhood, in spite of the aid cars and all the racket no one seemed to be up.

Hotch took Methos' hand in his, the knuckles were barked, but it was largely intact. He held it firmly and nodded at Reid and Prentiss. Prentiss held his shoulders, Reid positioned the light and Hotch slowly extended the mangled arm. In places it was more bone than flesh.

"Jesus, I don't know how he's going to fix this." Prentiss said as she released his shoulders and started wrapping the flesh. Methos hissed and jerked but didn't pull away. Hotch held him still as best he could. Methosdidn't struggle further but let out soft pained noises until Prentiss ran out of bandages. She secured it as best she could.

"That won't hold long." She said tightly. Her hands were covered in blood.

"Be fine." Methos insisted, although the way he fumbled his vowels and slurred his consonants hinted otherwise.

"Get him in the SUV, we'll take him to the hotel Prentiss stay with him, CSU will be here shortly, we'll have questions to answer." Hotchner said tiredly.

Reid and Prentiss carefully laid Methos on the back seat. Methos shivered, his hand trembling in Reid's grip, Reid frowned at the gesture and looked up at Prentiss.

"Shock." She mouthed. Reid nodded, his expression distracted almost annoyed. Methos whimpered although he seemed to be unconscious.

"My room's on the ground floor, we should take him there, it will be easier." Reid said quietly.

Methos was dreaming.

Kronos stood in front of him, soaked in blood, hair plastered to his skull, his cruel grin rippling the scar tissue bisecting his left brow and cheek. He laughed, the same hoarse mixture of triumph and rage Methos would never forget. Methos was crouched at Kronos' feet, as the immortal laughed the sand in front of Methos shifted, and Abasi slithered out. He looked human until he started laughing with Kronos, then his human visage shimmered away and only the familiar skinned cat creature remained.

Prentiss and Reid carefully settled Methos on one of the twin beds in Reid's room.

"We'll be okay Reid, just when you can get back here with more bandages, he might not need them but just to be safe."

"I've got it Prentiss, you already told me, eidetic memory, remember?" Reid said shortly. Prentiss swallowed and nodded. Apologies from her to Reid didn't always go well.

Reid left and seconds later she heard the SUV leave. Methos was sweating profusely and moaning as though he had a fever. Prentiss wasn't sure how to treat him. He'd said he needed water so she filled a glass and wet the small hand towels in the bathroom. She sponged the sweat from his face and waited for him to wake up enough to drink.

He bled through his bandage fifteen minutes later. Prentiss cursed, she gathered duct tape – always kept in her go bag – and more towels to make a new bandage. Pulling the wastebasket closer she prepared to change the bandage. She wished someone else were there to help. She sighed and carefully began to loosen the ties on the sodden bandage. She kept glancing at Methos expecting him to wake up, or react to the inevitable discomfort.

She pulled the bandage away as one large sodden lump and scooped it into the wastebasket. She was fascinated by Methos' arm. It wasn't healed but it was well on the way. Most of the missing flesh had filled in, the newly healed skin was a rippled moonscape of scar tissue. Prentiss carefully sponged dried and wet blood away from the wound revealing more clean scarred skin. She held off on applying a new bandage and settled for keeping the arm clean and dry.

Reid called to update Prentiss. Morgan was fine, he was conscious and had only needed stitches, in all he'd gotten off lightly. He'd be discharged in the morning, they were keeping him for observation in case he had any problems from his blood loss. She hung up with Reid almost smiling. She couldn't imagine the song and dance and insanity Hotch and JJ were dealing with but everyone had made it out alive.

Methos groaned and whimpered drawing Prentiss attention. She sponged his forehead which seemed to calm him. His eyes opened, they were unfocused.

"No…Kronos…" He stammered.

"Shhh Adam you're safe, you're in Reid's hotel room. You lost a lot of blood." She said gently. He closed his eyes and didn't respond. She sighed and shook her head.

He woke up for real an hour later.

"Prentiss?" He whispered. His head ached and his mouth felt like it was full of sand. He wasn't sure why he'd called her name, why he'd been so sure that she would be the one at his side when he woke.

"Here, I've got water for you." She said and helped him drink. He sighed when it was empty.

"More?" She asked. He nodded and sat back.

"You lost a lot of blood." She said nervously. He wondered at that. She was the daughter of a politically connected diplomat, an Ive League graduate gifted in a number of languages, an exemplary agent, a woman with standards so high she had been willing to sacrifice her dream job to avoid being sucked into politics. She was all that and still, she was nervous and uncertain of herself.

"How's Morgan?" He asked hoarsely.

"Full of stitches and donor blood but he'll be fine. You were right." She smiled and sat on the edge of the bed; helped him with another glass of water.

"Your arm is nearly healed." Prentiss pointed out. Methos looked down at his arm, he didn't react for a few seconds, then ran his left hand over the new skin, examined the scars closely. They were clearly caused by the 'walker's claws.

"Damn." He breathed. He hadn't scarred before. He had a few from his youth before his first death but time and multiple healings had so faded them that now only he could easily see them. These, these were unavoidable. He raised his arm and flexed his fist, he had full range of movement. He looked at Prentiss.

"I've never known an immortal to scar like this. Call the hospital, ask them to look for foreign toxins or substances in Morgan's bloodwork."

Prentiss immediately got on the phone.

Methos closed his eyes. He thought about Kalas, Xavier and the handful of other immortals that had sustained some kind of permanent injury or scar after becoming immortal. Kalas had been driven to annihilate Macleod due to the loss of his operatic voice at Macleod's blade. Xavier had been mad long before he lost his arm but the loss had fed his madness. Still, Kalas had been injured in the neck, an area of weakness for his kind and Xavier had lost a limb, so why had Methos scarred?

Methos flexed his arm. It felt strong and whole, he'd have to test it to be sure. Prentiss hung up.

"They'll let us know."

"You can go Agent, I'll be fine."

"You gonna take off?" She asked arms folded standing hipshot, somehow sternly motherly and all business at the same time.

"No, not until the mother is taken care of." He said turning his attention back to the scars.

"Good. Here, this is my cell number, call me before you do anything insane." She said writing her number on a pad by the nightstand. She got more water for him and then called for a pickup. She went outside to wait. Methos idly wondered whose room he was in. His clothing was a wreck, blood soaked and shredded, even his jeans and underwear were soaked and beginning to grow stiff as the blood dried. He slowly sat up. Using the bedside table as a brace he got to his feet and straightened. He still felt lightheaded and weak. He picked up the television remote and turned the TV on, he flipped around until he found a local news report and listened with half an ear while he drank the third glass of water Prentiss had left for him.

The news chattered on mindlessly about local events. No mention of a federal raid or casualties. Methos stared at his arm. The dim light from the bedside lamp was combining with the flickering television to cast dancing shadows over the strange new landscape of his flesh. He smiled at the thought of how badly Macleod would react to it.

"Overprotective." He muttered and carefully got to his feet.


	4. Patchwork

Reid stared at his hotel room door. He was holding a small battered duffel bag; Methos' go-bag. Reid hadn't bothered to look inside it, he was sure the contents would be high quality but nondescript clothing and toiletries. Nothing the immortal could not live without, just the bare essentials. He opened the door in one go, didn't give himself time to ponder what state Methos might be in, or whether he might have taken off for parts unknown.

The shower was running. He set the bag on the bed and glanced at the TV. The blankets and sheets on the bed were smeared with blood. Even the pillow was stained. Reid thought about just leaving but decided to leave a note. As he was bent over writing it the shower stopped. He kept writing, hoping to finish it and be out before the immortal saw him. He wasn't sure why he wanted to avoid Methos but he did, instinctively almost.

Reid heard movement in the bathroom and he froze, the note was only half done. As he moved to finish it Methos emerged from the bathroom. He was wearing a towel. Reid immediately noticed the immortal's mangled arm, lumps and fissures of scar tissue stood out like bad stage makeup.

"Your arm-" Reid started to say.

Methos smiled gently, "Yeah, gonna be a hell of a souvenir."

"I thought you healed everything?" Reid asked academic curiosity overcoming his nerves.

"Generally yeah. " Methos answered and didn't elaborate.

"Right, I uh brought your bag. Hey, why didn't you scar the first time a sleepwalker attacked you?"

"I don't know, I mean, I didn't get cut up nearly as badly as this but …I don't know why." Methos admitted. He walked toward Reid and reached for his bag. Reid backed up slightly.

"You okay?" Methos asked gently.

"Yeah, I, uh, I should get back." Reid said with nervous half stutter and smile.

"Any word on the son?"

"No, not yet."

Methos watched Reid leave, listened the SUV start up and pull away.

He was exhausted, dehydrated, scarred and scared. Still, if he left the agents would get torn apart by the 'walker as soon as it found them. The 'walker was hurt and frightened but by sunset it would be angry and grief stricken. The room's phone rang interrupting Methos' thoughts.

"Hello?"

"It's Hotchner. Morgan is okay, the doctors found unidentified venom in his blood work, they administered a general antivenin and it seems to have worked."

Methos was quiet. He didn't think he'd be grabbing a beer with Morgan at any point but he was glad the agent would survive and fight another day.

"Thank you." Hotchner said into the silence.

"What about the son? We only have a few hours before he comes after us." By 'us' Methos meant him, the others had injured the 'walker but Methos' had killed its only family, its only companion. Not to mention he was alone and lightly armed. He was bait.

"Hotchner… if all else fails he'll come after me."

"I know."

Methos didn't know what to say to that. Hotchner's matter-of-fact attitude was both refreshing and insulting.

"How is your arm?"

"Functional."

"Rest for a few hours, we'll wake you when we have something."

"Right. Hotchner?"

Silence.

"Keep an eye on Morgan, I…I've never scarred like this, I'm not sure what it means."

"We will. Get some rest."

"Sure, there's only an ancient Egyptian monster out for my hide." Methos laughed and hung up. It was a bitter noise.

He downed more water and then stripped the bed he found a section of blanket largely free from blood and curled up with it on the naked mattress.

A frantic banging and crash woke him. He sat up and nearly fell of the slick mattress. He'd left the TV on. An old episode of the X Files was playing; a man was standing in a shooting range with Mulder. Methos let out a chuckle and got up. He glanced out the window at the parking lot. It was about a half hour after dawn. He turned the television off and got dressed.

He drank more water and examined his arm. The scars were still present, the arm felt strong. He tried doing some pushups and pull ups from the rod in the closet. Satisfied he was well enough to get back to the job at hand he dialed Prentiss' number.

"Adam?"

"Yeah. Come get me."

"I don't think –"

"Come get me Prentiss, I'm fine. How's Morgan?"

"He hasn't woken up yet. The doctors keep saying he'll be fine."

"He will be, I'll be out front." Methos said and hung up. Truthfully he had no idea if Morgan would recover. Prentiss arrived ten minutes later. She looked exhausted. She'd changed and washed up at some point but she hadn't slept.

"You look like shit." Methos said cheerfully.

"Join the club. Nice shirt." Prentiss said. Methos was wearing a long sleeved T-shirt, it was dark blue but his scars were still visible on his wrist and the back of his hand. He grunted at her and got into the SUV. The skin on his arm felt tight, constricted, but he had almost full range of motion, barring some movement when he twisted his wrist, and the arm was strong and whole.

"We literally have nothing. Wherever the male went he's gone to ground for now."

"How are the locals taking it?"

"Hotchner told them Morgan cornered a suspect in the back yard, she assaulted him and then set herself on fire. The rest of us supposedly ran into a second suspect in the house."

"They buy it?"

"Until the forensics team flips out over whatever they find in the back yard? Yeah."

"Good. They'll ignore it."

"You sound pretty confident." Prentiss said glancing sidelong at him.

"What are they going to do? Claim that some nonhuman thing was committing these killings? They'll claim contamination in the lab screwed things up and just pray no one looks too hard at the case files. Which no one will because the suspects are dead with no family and the murders will stop. Case closed."

"My aren't you cynical."

"I'm the original pragmatist." Methos smiled.

As the morning stretched on with no word Methos pushed a couple chairs together and stretched out for a nap in the conference room. Reid was still pondering the case. Notes filled the board as well as comments on Egyptian mythology and folklore. Methos had taken one look at the mess and left well enough alone. Who knew, maybe Reid could crack it. Methos just knew he wasn't up to it.

As afternoon approached Hotchner entered and ordered Reid to eat and step away from the board for a few minutes.

"Adam?" Hotchner's voice, gentle but firm.

"Adam? Wake up."

Methos sat up and coughed, blinking he looked around for Hotchner.

"What?" He asked peevishly. He got bitchy when he was overtired.

"Reid's taking a break. I'd appreciate it you would take a look at his work and see if you can get anything from it."

Methos stared at Hotchner. He debated telling Hotchner to fuck off – but that was the exhaustion speaking, in reality it was a good idea.

Reid's hand writing was slightly scrawled but still legible. Methos ran over the various notes, unable to find any particular thread of logic at first. After a while it was like finding the theme to an opera, the logic was there and Methos followed the flow like a musician reading music and following the theme. He couldn't anticipate or leap ahead of Reid's thought processes but he could follow it and admire it.

"Reid is brilliant." Methos muttered. Hotchner didn't reply simply watched Methos. Hotchner knew Reid was brilliant, what Hotchner noted was the surprise and appreciation in Methos' voice.

"He's onto something, I'm not sure what but there's a thread here…" Methos murmured.

Reid returned, uncharacteristically he glared at Methos for a moment before shaking it off. He felt protective of his work and resented Methos' intrusion, he thought, but he'd felt strange around Methos. Awkward in a way he'd thought he'd long left behind when he left highschool.

"You're on to something Doctor." Methos said stepping away from the boards.

Reid didn't answer. The three men stood in silence for an awkward moment and then the door opened.

"Hey we've got a report of an attempted rape at the highschool." JJ said.

Methos' eyes snapped to the blond.

"Is there a dance or a game?"

"Dance."

"It's him, he's hunting." Methos said turning to face Hotch.

"Let's go." Hotchner growled.

The team were beaten and exhausted, this time they were all armed with shotguns as well as sidearms and vests. Morgan hadn't been replaced. The local P.D. had agreed to secure a perimeter and assist in evacuating the students and their dates.

"Agent Hotchner, I'd prefer it if our team moved in pairs, we'll need to separate him from the students." Methos suggested.

"You think he'll still be there?" Prentiss asked.

"He has to be, this place isn't large enough to have many more gatherings like that."

"Oh god." Reid breathed he'd had a eureka moment. They all looked at him. Methos was putting his vest on.

"What is it?" Hotchner asked.

"Adam, you said he needs virgins? Do they have to be sexually mature?"

"I don't know, I only saw them with young women-"

"Hotch, if they don't have to be past puberty then any number of children can be targets."

"How certain are you that he'll be here?" Hotchner asked Methos firmly.

Methos thought about it. How had he missed something so obvious?

"I can go alone, if I find him I'll lead him away and call you, the rest of you can –"

"It's past dinner time, after dark most children will be at home, our best bet is the dance." Prentiss said firmly.

Methos wasn't so certain anymore but it wasn't his call.

"Teams, Prentiss you're with Reid, JJ with me, Adam you're solo but take a radio." Hotchner said evidently accepting Prentiss' logic.

They took three vehicles this time.

The report had been called in by a friend of the near victim, both girls had been sequestered by school security in another area of the school. The locals had quietly herded the students into a smaller adjunct gym adjoining the larger gym where the dance had been set up and sealed the exits down to one.

"The kids have been moved to a smaller and more secure area. They've been told there's an armed robbery suspect in the area." JJ said after speaking with the officer in charge. The team were gathered in the courtyard of the school, classrooms surrounding them the adjunct gym and its sole exit behind them.

"Adam what would you suggest?" Hotchner asked.

"I'll sweep the crowd, I'd like Prentiss and JJ to follow me in and watch the crowd reactions once I've passed, if he's in there he'll react to me. We need to separate him."

"If he dims?" JJ asked.

"You've got goggles." Methos replied tightly.

"You don't." Prentiss shot back.

"I'll be fine Emily, I was before." He said calmly.

"Alright." Hotchner agreed. Methos left his FBI vest on and walked into the gym, Prentiss and JJ following in his wake. He hadn't wanted to say it but the women had the least practical shoes for pursuit, with Hotchner and Reid standing by Methos hoped the duo would be able to chase the 'walker if it made it past him and the women.

The crowd was nervous but it was an excited nervousness, there were whispers, titters, murmured comments and the occasional outburst as he drifted around them. He prowled like a hungry cat eyeing each student as he passed them. He found most of the girls dresses too revealing for their ages, a few of the students looked at him with unimpressed jaded eyes. He wasn't too surprised age, fashion, and acceptable behavior seemed to undergo radical shifts every few hundred years. The children didn't faze him, he had bigger prey in mind.

He circled the crowd once and then walked among them, they shifted like the red sea, leaving a path for him the 'walker waited until Methos was level to run. Methos spun in place and snatched at the 'walker's clothing. But the creature made it past him. He looked like a handsome young black man, between seventeen and nineteen at the outside. He snarled, an animal noise, as Methos' fingers brushed him. Methos let him go, as long as he ran away from the children. Someone screamed and the 'walker was free of the children. The students scattered to the far end of the gym, leaving the 'walker alone with Methos and the women.

JJ and Prentiss stalked toward the creature carefully placing themselves between it and the students. Methos stood in front of the door.

"What's your name boy?" Methos asked with a curled lip.

"Ethan."

"You can't run, it's over."

"You killed her, I feel her marks on you." Ethan snarled, his voice didn't sound human, as he glared at Methos' he lost his composure, his face twisted into a combination of its human guise and the beast underneath.

"I am sorry that happened Ethan. You know I had no choice, you can't go on alone."

"Why not? You do!" He yowled.

Methos stared at the creature, how did it know what he was?

"I'm not alone now Ethan, these women are federal agents, there are several more waiting for you as well as local officers. Come with us, we can help you."

"Help me? HELP me? You killed my mother. I'm alone now, I'm the last you bastard!" The creature snarled its voice wholly inhuman.

Methos braced and sure enough the big creature launched at him. Methos met it in a grapple. The children panicked and charged the door. As they rushed around the two combatants the fleeing students jostled and shook them, the students nearest tried to avoid the fighters, the rest were intent only on the door. It was chaos.

Methos focused on keeping Ethan busy, keeping him trying for a hostage. He was gripping the big creature's wrists, Ethan's head was free, he head butted Methos. The immortal staggered but hung on. Ethan tried to trip him but for all his legginess Methos was fast, he dodged the attempt but landed awkwardly and nearly fell. Ethan twisted, using the momentum of the stumble against Methos and brought the immortal down on his back. Methos grunted as he hit the floor. All of his focus was on keeping Ethan away from the door and the students. Ethan hauled back on Methos' grip, managed to bring his arms near his face, instead of trying to break Methos grip the 'walker lunged forward, sank his teeth into Methos' shoulder.

As pain shot through his body Methos focused on keeping his grip, Ethan snarled lustily and released his grip he reared up and stared down at Methos. Their arms were pinned between their bodies. Methos was pinned by Ethan's weight but Ethan couldn't break free of Methos. As the last shrieking student ran out of the room Ethan bore down on Methos and whispered in his ear.

"When you bleed out I'm going to gut the blond and fuck the tall one. What do you think of that?" Methos hissed and tried to knock Ethan onto his side. The 'walker laughed and pinned Methos down again.

"Off him Ethan, we will shoot." JJ snapped, she and Prentiss moved closer to Ethan and Methos.

"Emily." Methos said and grit his teeth as Ethan tried to wriggle free.

Prentiss fired. She emptied the shotgun into Ethan, after the first shot JJ joined in. Ethan screamed in pain and rose in an instinctive attempt to avoid the shots. . Methos sighed as the pressure of Ethan's weight fell away. He rolled onto his chest and got to his feet as the lost blasts rang out. Ethan was down, arms flung out, lying on his back, eyes closed.

"Is he dead?" Prentiss asked. She'd tossed her shotgun aside and drawn her sidearm. Reid and Hotchner burst into the gym.

"No." Methos grunted. He got to his feet and retrieved his shotgun. His right shoulder was a mess.

"Why do they always go for that side." He grumbled irritably.

"Adam?" Hotchner asked. Reid carefully approached Ethan and cuffed him.

"I'm fine, he's not down for good. We need a cat."

"He's in custody –" JJ said softly.

"I don't care JJ, look you saw what he did to Morgan, no prison will be able to hold him. He has to be put down, sometimes-" He broke off. The team were looking at him as though he was a monster, all except Hotchner. Methos couldn't read his face.

"Sometimes they have to be put down." Methos finished. Hotchner's face twitched, Methos recalled the agent's murdered wife and traumatized child.

The immortal could feel his shoulder knitting, the upper right edge of his vest had taken a beating but he kept it on. He reached down to grip Ethan by his hair. As his fingers brushed the creature's hair it shimmered revealing it's cat like skinned looking body.

"It looks dead." Reid said. He couldn't take his eyes off it. Methos guessed that the team hadn't had a look at him before when he was trying to kill Morgan.

"I told you they weren't human." Methos said wincing as his shoulder started to throb again. The quickening was working wonders but it was going to take a few minutes.

"Seeing is believing." Hotchner said quietly. The team were staring at Ethan in a mixture of revulsion and horror. Methos used the carry strap from Prentiss' abandoned shotgun as a noose for Ethan. He pulled it tight and looped it over his own left shoulder half lifting Ethan off the ground.

"Cats." He said and coughed.

"We-we can't do this-"

"Fine." Methos said and let Ethan's body hit the ground. He glared at them, eyes bright against the blood and pallor of his skin. He laughed and shook his head.

"I don't know what I was thinking, honestly, you're only boring modern humans. Arrogant profilers, you can see through anyone right? You've all got some theory to explain anything, even me? Right? EXCEPT FOR HIM. If you do not kill him now he will kill again and it will be on you." Methos snarled.

He let out a soft noise and gripped his shoulder, it still hurt like hell. He pulled the vest off and tore his shirt away at the collar exposing his still heaving chest. The scars on his right arm snaked up past his elbow. The bite wound wasn't healing. He could see the quickening sparking and dancing around it to no effect. As he stared at it the flesh slowly knit back together but it was wrong, battered, thick, and scarred.

Methos made a startled, pained noise and tried to touch the still open portions of the wound, a sticky viscous fluid clung to his fingertips the 'walker's saliva. How had his arm scarred if he hadn't been bitten? Were the claws poisoned as well?

Methos picked up the rags of his shirt and used it to scrape the goo out of his wound, he let out a low yell as he did so, immediately it began to heal correctly. He threw the sodden cloth to the gym floor, it made a sick plopping noise. Methos raised his head, heaving from the effort and pain he glared at the agents.

"Let him live and it's on you. I'm done." He said softly and started toward the door.

"You killed his mother." Reid said. Methos stopped walking and looked at Reid.

"That's my problem."

"She was literally all he had. His mother, his lover in one being, she gave him life and ultimate pleasure. What wouldn't you do for her?" Reid demanded.

Methos kept staring at Reid.

"I don't remember if I even had a mother Reid, or any other family. I barely remember my first death if that was the first. That is not you. You're a good man, you put killers behind bars and protect innocent people. You have nothing in common with that thing." Methos snapped pointing at Ethan. Evidently Reid had mother issues, well honestly who didn't? As Methos lowered his arm Ethan sat up. He moved like a zombie.

"What are you going to do Agent Hotchner? Take him out in cuffs? Load him in a squad car and read him his rights? He isn't even human, let alone a citizen, he's going to devour innocent girls if you let him live."

"He's alone now, completely, alone." Reid said, his voice was thick with tears. Methos barked out the bitterest of laughs in the face of the young agent's tears.

"Don't you dare cry for him Ried-"

"Adam, back off, he's ours to handle now." Hotchner snapped.

Methos shook his head and clutched his shoulder.

"I'll never understand you." He whispered, the words were for Hotchner. Hotchner had beaten the Reaper to death with his bare hands, he'd made a decision, a just decision the end game of which was the death of the Reaper and Holly. Now, he was making another choice that could have equally terrible consequence. Methos moved toward the door still clutching his shoulder. The agents watched him walk. Ethan rose to his knees and snarled at Methos, the life apparently returning to him. Methos stared at the hideous thing, part cat, part burn victim and sneered.

"You've been granted a stay of execution by them, those pitiful mortals you hunt so happily, whose children you slaughter so willingly. I would have killed you, the way I put your bitch mother down. Not them. Not them. If you've any sense of self-preservation you'll remember that, because they know about you now. I don't have a lot of mercy left, I'm burnt out, all I've got left is hate and fear, those'll get you through the day for a while, but think about this, they've still got love, they've still got compassion and mercy, so how much hate have they got to go with it?" Methos asked with a hurt and bitter laugh.

Ethan snarled at him and strained against his cuffs.

"If you come for me I will certainly kill you, I'll even enjoy it, but they'll come for you as well and remember their capacity for hate Ethan." Methos hissed. The sickening creature hissed at him. Its body was pockmarked and bloodied from a dozen or so shotgun blasts. It whined at Methos then, rattled its cuffs and chuffed out a breath.

Methos looked back at the team. Reid looked confused, he held his weapon loosely in both hands, JJ looked frightened but ready to fire if Ethan moved. Prentiss looked grim, she held her sidearm ready, she kept glancing at Hotchner. Finally Methos' eyes settled on Hotchner.

"Your call." He said very quietly.


	5. Murder Martyr

A crackling radio broke the silence.

"Perimeter secured." A stranger's voice popped and snapped.

"You can go." Hotchner said quietly. Methos just stared at him.

"You …" Methos swallowed and tried again.

"Why?" He asked finally.

"Because we aren't you. You're afraid that if people know about him they'll find out about you. I understand that, maybe you're even right about it. But we are not executioners Mr. Pierson." Hotchner said quietly.

"No, no they aren't are they?" Methos asked rhetorically. He knew the look that had passed over Hotchner's face. He'd worn it himself thousands of times. It was the cold face of an executioner. He didn't think Hotchner had ever killed in cold blood before, but he could. He was fully capable of it.

Ethan snarled as Methos started to walk away again this time he paused at the doorway. The quartet had surrounded the animal, Hotchner was talking via his earpiece to the team outside. Methos was torn. He knew, knew the only way to be safe, the only way to be sure was to make sure the Sleepwalker was dead. But they weren't going to let him do that. Shoulder still aching he turned away and walked out.

A uniformed officer met him with a blanket and a police issue windbreaker style jacket. Methos allowed the officer to lead him to an aid area where EMTs bandaged his still bloodied shoulder.

"Looks like an animal bite, what the hell is in there?" One of them asked. Methos didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the door. Moments later an animal control van pulled up. A heavyset woman emerged and immediately went to the back; she pulled out a pole noose and a small tool box. She walked straight to the gym and entered. Methos sat up the EMT clucked his tongue at the movement.

"Hold still man, looks like you're going to have another scar to match this one." He said and finished taping the bandage in place. Methos shrugged on the police jacket and checked the sidearm he'd been issued. It was still there. He walked up to the edge of the perimeter.

He couldn't go, not yet. He had to…what? Shoot Ethan in front of witnesses? Burn him? With what? He didn't know what he could or would do but he couldn't go, not yet, he had to know.

They emerged several achingly long moments later. Reid lead, he looked shell shocked, his sidearm was in its holster but the clasp was undone, Prentiss and Hotchner were next, Ethan slung between them, Methos could see several darts festooning him and the pole nose was secured around his neck. Behind him came JJ and the animal control officer, the officer was holding the pole, her skin was pallid with fear.

As the officers on the perimeter saw what was being lead out of the gym gasps, cries and conversation broke out.

"Jesus fucking Christ what the hell is that?" An officer behind Methos asked.

"It's a Sleepwalker." Methos replied brokenly. The officer didn't register that Methos had spoken. While Methos watched Hotchner spoke in his radio again. The perimeter moved in, tightened, weapons were pointed at the group. Hotchner spoke again and they were lowered, Kevlar vests or no nothing except maybe the sleepwalker would survive a barrage from that many weapons.

Methos had a sudden thought. Without giving himself time to think through the consequences he started to jog toward the team and their prisoner. He broke through the perimeter as he approached the team he locked eyes with Hotchner for several heartbeats, in that time Methos knew that Hotchner was going to try to stop him.

Methos pulled his sidearm and the world slowed to a crawl. Rain started to fall. A drop struck Methos' cheek as he finished drawing his sidearm, he ordered the team to back away, his shouted orders sounded like they were under water. Reid backed off turned toward Hotchner for orders, help, guidance maybe just an answer, Prentiss backed away from Ethan as Hotchner started toward Methos.

Methos raised his arm to coldcock Hotchner, to pistol whip him into backing off. A shot rang out, something bit Methos in the back, he swung at Hotchner anyway but his right leg buckled and he dropped to one knee. Hotchner caught Methos' shoulders before the immortal hit the ground.

"Adam! Why?" Hotchner asked. Methos laughed and a wet gob of blood splattered his chin.

"He'll kill you all." Methos hissed and slumped as the pain of the gun shot wound momentarily robbed him of all strength. Hotchner looked grieved; he slowly lowered Adam to the now wet pavement as more rain fell. As Hotchner lowered Methos could see that Ethan had taken advantage of the distraction to break free from the animal control handler. The terrified woman wisely sprinted back into the gym. Prentiss and JJ fell back as well, Prentiss snagged Reid's jacket and dragged him in with her, out of the inevitable gunfire from the perimeter. Methos registered the movements immediately, he reached up to Hotchner and grabbed the agent's tie, he hauled Hotchner to the ground with all the strength he could muster and rolled on top of him as the first shots from the perimeter rang out. Terrified and urged on by the primal satisfaction of a group kill the officers on the perimeter opened up with everything they had.

The gun fire seemed to go on for hours before it stopped. For a moment everyone was still. Prentiss, JJ, Reid, and the animal control officer slowly crept out of the building, Prentiss raced to Hotchner and Methos. The original shot that had felled Methos hadn't killed him. A ricochet to his skull had, Prentiss made a small noise and pulled the heavy blood soaked corpse off of Hotchner. Hotchner groaned and blinked at Prentiss.

"Emily." He said blankly, his hearing damaged in a bomb blast was full of whining and throbbing echoes. She got him to his feet and they looked at Ethan. He wasn't even in one piece anymore.

The animal control officer vomited and then started to cry softly. Methos stared up at the sky, his hazel eyes turned Christmas green in his bloody face, his mouth was slightly open, his sidearm abandoned on the ground. The rain fell harder, bouncing on his face, in his open eyes, smearing the blood on his face. As Hotchner stared down at the immortal the cacophony in his head settled to a hiss and then died away.

"Do you hear that?" Hotchner asked Prentiss.

"Hear what Hotch?" She asked still checking him for wounds. Hotchner stared at her face as she spoke, half reading her lips he answered, "The silence."


	6. Coda

_**A/N – I added this 'cause, as at least one reviewer pointed out, the story feels like it ends a bit abruptly. I think some of that has been mitigated by a few of the minor edits you may have noticed in previous chapters. That and I think Methos and Hotch had a few more things to hash out before all could be said and done.**_

Coda

Hotchner waited quietly in the morgue. His eyes were tired; blood stained his clothing, pink and dark red/brown where it hadn't been diluted by the rain. His tie was slightly loose around his collar, hair mussed.

He sat on a steel three legged stool with a naugahyde cushion. One heel was hooked on the lowest rung, the other flat on the floor, he leaned one elbow on the lower leg hand dangling between his knees. The other elbow propped on the higher knee held his chin.

He needed to shave, his skin was pale, rough looking, the lingering scars of adolescent acne thrown into harsh relief by the flickering overhead fluorescents. His sidearm sat on the steel surface of a counter to his right, before him were two exam tables with sheeted corpses.

One corpse was whole, its outline solid and full from crown to foot. The other was a lumpy mystery. Mounds and hills of white cloth hung neatly, hinting at the carnage underneath. The cloth tugged at the high relief points, the main features, draping mysteriously over awkward chasms and voids.

Hotchner shifted the naugahyde squeaked and sighed as the soft cotton wool blend of his suit pants scraped across its surface.

Aaron Hotchner was waiting for the dead to rise.

* * *

Methos' eyes fluttered open, his jaws gaped and his lungs expanded, a gargling gasp announced his resurrection. He rolled on to his side coughing and spluttering, the white sheet of an institutionalized death wrapped him in its folds, confusing his barely firing brain, his arms shot up clawing at it, his roll and spastic reflexes hurled him off the exam table and onto the ground.

He fought free of the shroud, caught his breath in aching lungs and found his senses. Chest still heaving, eyes wild he realized where he was. He could see two legs, clad in a dark cloth – suit cloth? On the other side of the exam table. Slowly Methos got up almost expecting to see an orderly or startled pathologist.

Hotchner held his sidearm in hand, brown eyes full of …what? What was Hotch's default expression? Neutrality?

Methos caught his breath and realized he was naked; he reached up and felt his collarbone for the tell-tale autopsy Y incision. It wasn't there; of course he likely could have healed from it if it had been.

The muzzle of Hotch's weapon twitched at Methos, the immortal went still.

"I waited for you." Hotchner said simply.

"What now?" Methos asked.

"I've been sitting here and I've been thinking. I've been thinking about what you said about the UNSUB." Hotchner said carefully.

Methos was silent.

"According to your reasoning I have to accept that you're going to kill someone. Whether it's another immortal or not is irrelevant. You're a killer, it's what you do. So why should I let _you_ walk away?" Hotchner's voice was calm, recitative.

Methos considered this.

"Two reasons Hotchner, I only kill to live." Methos was quiet for a moment.

"I only kill to live and if I can, I avoid it altogether, I don't want to kill anyone Hotchner but I won't lie down and die and I won't walk away from a threat when I can stop it." Methos said finally.

The soft buzz of the florescent lights and the rasp of Methos' breathing filled the antiseptic space.

Hotch stood up and slipped his sidearm into its holster.

"You're a useful asset . We can help one another. Never pull a stunt like that again or I'll personally make sure you're locked away in super max." Hotchner said quietly.

Methos stared at the agent, he suddenly felt horribly exposed and being naked and newly un-dead had nothing to do with it.

Hotchner extended his hand, Methos glanced at it and then took it. Hotch shook his hand once and released him.

"Keep out of trouble." Hotchner said and limped out of the room. Methos automatically registerd the limp, decided it was due to sore muscles or joints rather than injury. As the door closed behind Hotchner he let out a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding.

**_A/N Sequel to AKOS is Unhappy Ending. It's nominally HL/CM but quickly adds The Pretender. It is a WIP as of now - Feb '11_**


End file.
